Italian NGO Rescues 105 Migrants Off Libyan Coast

Arab World

March 8th, 6:40am

Rome - Asharq Al-Awsat

Illegal migrants arrive by boat at a naval base after they were rescued by the Libyan coastguard in the coastal city of Tripoli, Libya, May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

The Italian maritime rescue NGO Emergency rescued 105 people who were adrift in international waters off the coast of Libya in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The NGO’s vessel ‘Life Support’ has set course for the port of Brindisi, on Italy’s southeast coast, where it is scheduled to dock on Friday, Emergency revealed on its Twitter page. Among the migrants rescued, there was a woman who is seven months pregnant, as well as 29 minors, of whom 25 were unaccompanied. The vessel, about 12 meters long, “had serious structural problems and was taking on water”, said Emanuele Nannini, Emergency Project Coordinator on board Life Support. “An extremely dangerous situation for navigation and for the 105 people onboard. Moreover, the sea conditions were worsening,” said Nannini. Nannini compared the situation to the shipwreck off the Italian southern coast more than a week ago. The confirmed death toll in that disaster rose to 71 after rescue workers found the body of a three-year-old girl in the sea off the seaside resort of Steccato di Cutro. Around 80 people survived the shipwreck, but others remain missing.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4199371/italian-ngo-rescues-105-migrants-libyan-coast